Revision of the amblypygid spiders of Cuba and their relationships with the Caribbean and continental American amblypygid fauna

Twelve species of amblypygids from Cuba are described and pictured. Data are given on the distribution and a Key to species is provided. Nine out of the twelve species are endemic to Cuba, indicating a high degree of endemism. The inferred relationships among the species of Phrynus and Paraphrynus are plotted as cladograms. Relationships of Charinides species are discussed. Of the three genera present in Cuba, Charinides is reported for the first time for the Caribbean and four new species are described. The genus Speleophrynus Ravelo, which includes two endemic species from Venezuelan caves, S. tronchonii Ravelo and S. bordoni Ravelo, is placed in synonymy under Charinides. Two species are transferred to Phrynus: Hemiphrynus machadoi Fage, the only phrynid species known from outside of America, and the fossil species Tarantula resinae Schawaller. The biogeographic relationships of the Caribbean amblypygid fauna are discussed.